S M i L E
by StEpPiNg StOnEs
Summary: Warai Mutsuko, sensei to Team 15, has to deal with more than the young ninjas and their varying personalities. She has more to deal with more than being a ninja and putting her life on the line. rest inside
1. Chapter 1

**a/n **okay, so this a new story I've been planning on making for a LONG time now. Its main character is Mutsuko--the sensei from Sunrises. It is to be a romance between her and Asuma and Genma--hence the fact that their names are int he title. after I am finsihed with this, I am going to make a prequel for it, and maybe even a sequel. haven't thought THAT far in advance xD anyway! I hope you enjoy!

**summary:** Warai Mutsuko, sensei to Team 15, has to deal with more than the young ninjas and their varying personalities. She has more to deal with more than being a ninja and putting her life on the line. She has to deal with the fact that she, like most everyone in the world does, is falling in love, but with two people. But not with just any two people. No, she had to go and fall in love her two best friends. And if that isn't enough, they're also falling for her, even though ones taken. And when you're a ninja like they all are, being in love isn't easy.

* * *

S M i L E

**Chapter One--Tea  
+++**

"...I need tea," a young woman muttered, flicking her light brown hair out of her eyes. She glanced over at her two companions, who were chuckling slightly at her.

"What?" she demanded, coming to a halt and placing her fists on her hips. The two men looked back at her, exchanged a glance, and started laughing again, only causing her to frown even more.

"What," she demanded, "is so wrong with needing tea?"

"Nothing at all Mutsuko," the younger of the two men replied in all seriousness. "It's just as normal as me needing a smoke."

The woman ordained Mutsuko frowned. "I don't exactly like that comparison. I am not _addicted_ to tea, as you are to smoking, Asuma," she said disapprovingly.

The Asuma chuckled appreciatively along with the other man. "You're right there," he said.

"I know I am," Mutsuko replied, smiling. "Now, changing the subject, I have two favors to ask you two."

"Oh?"

"Yes, Genma, I do. Are you two willing to accept them?"

"Mutsuko, we aren't going to be fooled by that," Asuma sighed, "again. Last time you had us agree before hearing it, we ended up running all around Konoha catching butterflies for you and Kotori."

"And you'd think you two would have been smart enough to see therough my plan last time!" Mutsuko laughed, brushing aside her hair. "Anyway, the first favor is to go check up on Hato's spying. Do you accept this challenge?"

"Yeah, sure," Genma said indifferently, repositioning his senbon. Therusting his hands in his pockets, he looked up at the sky to await the second task Mutsuko had planned for him and Asuma.

"You want us to spy on Hato spying on the Academy students?" Asuma asked curiously.

"Hai, that is correct."

"Okay then..." Asuma said, voice drifting off. "And I assume you want us to because he doesn't know us and will suspect nothing?"

"Exactly!" Mutsuko chirped.

"Alrighty then..." Asuma pulled a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. He quickly lit it and stuck it into his mouth, inhaling. A moment later, he pulled it out and puffed a ring of smoke from his mouth. Mutsuko coughed and moved over next to Genma to escape the smoke he let out.

"Now what's the second thing?" Genma asked carelessly, looking down at Mutsuko's head.

"I'd rather tell you once you performed the first."

"Well at least say what it involves," Asuma requested of her, exhaling smoke again. Mutsuko coughed and swatted the smoke away with her hand.

"Seiko and Sakai," she replied, speaking into her hand. "But I can't say anymore until later. And please, for the sake of all of our health, _put that forsaken thing out_!"

Asuma growled and dropped the cigarette to the ground, stamping it out with his foot. "Happy?"

"Delusional," Mutsuko replied, smirking. "Now I'm going of to Kotori's place. Meet me there when you're done!"

Mutsuko smiled brightly at the two men, who smiled slightly in return.

"Right. Well, see you in a while!" the young woman exclaimed, giving a short wave to the two.

The two men then headed off towards the Academy, one with his hands in his pockets, senbon poking out of his mouth, and the other smoking a new cigarette, contaminating the air for those around him but calming him at the same time.

Mutsuko flashed a small smile at their backs before turning on her heels and running swiftly down the dirt roads to her apartment building to have some tea with her Kotori.

+++

"Here you go," a purple haired young woman said, smiling. She carefully placed a teacup and saucer on her glass dining room table. "You need sugar?"

"Always," Mutsuko replied, accepting the sugar bowl from her friend. She scooped a few small spoonfuls in then stirred it absently.

"So what's up? Why are you here?"

"Can't I just visit my friend?" Mutsuko asked, smiling innocently.

"I suppose..."

"Plus you make the best tea," Mutsuko added as an afterthought, taking a sip of her scalding tea.

"I knew you had some ulterior motive," the purple haired one sighed, slipping into a chair across from Mutsuko.

Mutsuko grinned sheepishly, brushing her bangs from her brown eyes. "Oh you know I love you, Kotori," she said.

"Not as much as you love your boyfriends," the woman ordained Kotori teased, leaning across the table to poke Mutsuko's forehead.

"Well that would just be un--_wait_. What did you say?"

"Your boyfriends," Kotori calmly replied, taking a sip out of her tea cup.

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"I didn't **say** you had _a_ boyfriend. I said boyfriend_s_."

Mutsuko exhaled, blowing her bangs out of her face. "You're talking about Asuma and Genma, aren't you?"

"Who else?"

Mutsuko rolled her eyes. "They're just my friends."

"Right," Kotori smirked. "They do everything you want."

"Because they're my friends and like doing me favors!"

"You take advantage of them."

"I do not! And to prove that, I'll pay them when they get back!"

"They're off doing you a favor right now?"

"Yeah. They're checking up on Hato and his spying."

"Why couldn't you do that?" Kotori asked. She took another sip of her tea and then paused. "Oh, no. Don't tell me because you needed tea too much?"

Mutsuko laughed. "**No!** It's just that Hato would know I was spying on him spying if he saw me, but if he sees those two around, he won't suspect anything. And I don't want him to feel that I think he needs checking up on. He's already annoyed that he keeps getting stuck spying."

"Why _do_ you do that to him?"

Mutsuko sherugged. "It's training. He needs it. Back when they were first assigned to me, they were supposed to hide..."

_Mutsuko turned to look at the theree excited young Genin, and a sly smile slid across her face.  
"Okay! So you all decided to show; good. That shows courage."  
"Courage? How so?" the rusty-haired boy snorted, folding his arms over his chest. His twin sister, a blonde with a temper, glared at him and elbowed him.  
"Stop being stupid, Sakai. This is our sensei! You don't back talk her!"  
"No, no, Seiko. It's okay," Mutsuko said absently, waving it off. "You want to know why it showed courage, Sakai?" At this she leaned in really close to him. "Because today you're going to do a task so hard that barely anything else will ever compare. Plus," she added thoughtfully, "you have to do it without __these_!"  
Mutsuko took each of their weapon pouches and stuck them in her bag.  
"This will test you on what you know about jutsus and...Well, I'm getting ahead of myself." She smiled at them, ignoring their disbelieving faces.  
"Now the mission is to find where in these woods I've hidden this glass figurine." She held up a photograph of a small teddy-bear figurine. "But once you find it, it'll be tricky to get it. There are hidden traps all over. _And_ you must not be seen as you progress therough the woods, alright? Or my minions will attack. Understood?"  
"Hai!" Hato exclaimed, grinning at his sensei; his response was much more energetic than anything the other two could muster. So the Noriakos merely nodded.  
"Good! Now go!"  
The theree stated running off in different direction, and Mutsuko shook her head. Sighing, she then jumped into the trees and hurried towards the hidden figurine.  
As she moved, she past Hato, who was walking easily therough the forest, not bothering to hide. Mutsuko sighed. This kid had a lot to learn.

"Oh, I see what you mean. Was he like that the rest of the time?"

Mutsuko laughed bitterly. "Oh, yes. I caught glimpses of the other two a couple times, but I saw neither of them as much as I saw him."

"Well, he's a good kid," Kotori said, and that settled the matter. Not that Mutsuko disagreed or anything. Hato was a great kid and a good subordinate, most of the time, but there really was more to the matter than being 'good'; there was no arguing with Kotori, though, and she didn't even try.

"So where are the other two while he's off doing that anyway?"

"Seiko and Sakai? They're training in a different way. Jutsus and stuff."

"Is that the area they need help in? I always thought they were really good."

"Oh, they are, but I cant think of anything else to do with them, so there they are. In fact, that has something to do with the _next_ favor I'm asking of our two favorite guys."

Kotori cocked an eyebrow and stopped stirring her tea. "You're having them do something else for you after this? They aren't your slaves, Mutsuko."

"I'm aware of that fact. But it will be training the two more, and Hato; if he gets to them in time."

"How are they going to help?"

"You'll see. When they come by--"

"Wait, _**wait**_! They're coming over to my apartment? Why?"

"To meet me. Why do you really care that much?"

"My home is not a rest stop, nor is it for you to bring people to!"

"You gave me a key!" Mutsuko defended, causing Kotori to sigh.

"For _emergencies_, Mutsuko. Emergencies, not for your friends to come to because it's closer than your place."

"I actually didn't do it for this reason...this time. I thought it would be nice for the four of us to hang out for a couple of minutes."

"That's sweet, Mutsuko, really, but you know I have to get going to my class."

"Oh yeah. Special Kunoichi lessons...Sometimes I wish I had your job. So much less demanding," Mutsuko sighed; she stirred her tea absently gain, supporting her head with her hands.

"I thought you enjoyed being an instructor." Kotori frowned, grabbing Mutsuko's half-full glass and moving to the kitchen with it.

"Of course I do! It's just...you know. Never a moment's peace."

"I thought you enjoyed that sort of thing. You know...you're never bored, you're always active..."

"You don't have to spend time with the people I do. Don't get me wrong, I love the theree, but..." Mutsuko stopped short and laughed.

"You got quite an interesting team, hm?"

"Oh yeah. Each one is a surprise ever day. You got hyperactive, yet somehow lazy, flirty Hato; then there's short-tempered, hard-working, confused Seiko; and lastly Sakai, who at one moment can be friendly and somewhat loud, but is usually quiet, untalkative, and 'too cool' though nice all the same. I got a variety I did."

"I like them," said Kotori after a moment. "They're nice. And Hato...it certainly is fun living in the same apartment building as you two...And seeing you four around town. What does he call the Noriako kids again? The Nin-twins?"

"The Twinjas," Mutsuko corrected, barely stifling her laughter.

"Right, right..." The purple-haired woman glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. "When are those two coming anyway? I do need to get going."

"Whenever they're done. Please stick around!"

"But my class! I need to get it planned out..."

"That can wait."

Kotori sighed. "Fine! Come on, let's go occupy our time..."

+++

Some time there was a knock on the door. Kotori and Mutsuko both jumped to their feet and ran towards it, shoving to see who would get to answer it like the little children they were inside.

"Ha! I beat you!" Kotori exclaimed, looking over her shoulder at a pouting Mutsuko. She then looked forward again and flashed her most charming smile at the two Jounins who stood before her.

"Ah! Asuma, Genma! Please, please, come inside!" Kotori graciously stepped aside and allowed the two men to pass.

"So, get any more butterflies, guys?" she asked wryly, dropping her excellent hostess act, closing the door.

Asuma frowned and put his cigarette out in the cigarette dish Kotori had just for his visits.

"Sorry; didn't come across any," Genma replied, smirking.

"Besides," Asuma added, "we didn't want to put any more therough the torture of being owned by you. How long did the last batch last? A day?"

Kotori flushed, the purple of her eyes and hair looking odd against the vibrant red color her face had taken on. "Very funny you two," she scowled.

"One of mine is still alive!" Mutsuko cheerily exclaimed, earning a hearty chuckle from Asuma and a wink and a smile from Genma.

"Anything I can get for you two while you're here, or do you have to rush off to Mutsuko's other task right away?" Kotori said, changing the subject.

"I'm good," Genma said, moving his senbon around with his tongue.

"Is sake out of the question?" Asuma asked, earning a groan from Mutsuko.

"Smoking, drinking, being a ninja...it's a miracle you're still alive!" she exclaimed, therowing her arms in the air.

"It's a miracle you are, too, the way you go commenting on everyone's behavior," Asuma shot playfully. "I hope you don't talk this way to your opponents. You'd be dead in a heartbeat."

Mutsuko grinned sheepishly. "Technically, you _do_ die in a heartbeat--your last one. As you know when the heart fails to continue pumping, its owner dies."

Genma groaned. "Here we go again. You just had to use that pherase, didn't you Asuma?"

Kotori laughed and handed Asuma a shot glass of sake. "You're lucky you just came then, Genma, if you're going to get annoyed just by that comment. Ever since she came, it was one thing after another!"

"Am I really that annoying?" Mutsuko asked, frowning.

Asuma refrained from answering, but Genma and Kotori nodded and simultaneously said," Yes!"

Genma winked afterwards, and a small smile flickered unconsciously across Mutsuko's face.

"Right! Well, thanks so much for doing that favor for me? How was he doing?"

"Not a soul noticed him," Asuma replied, wiping his upper lip with his sleeve. "More, please?"

"Of course!" Kotori replied, smiling again. She ran off with the empty shot glass and returned a moment later with it.

"He moved around a lot without being noticed," Genma commented, taking a seta on the couch. "He even joined the crowd the class made..."

"And no one saw him?" Mutsuko asked skeptically.

"Not a soul," Asuma piped in. "Of course, they were all too busy watching the fight between two students to notice. Oh don't get all into a tizzy! It was field practice."

"Those kids were good," Genma whistled, shaking his head. "I'd like to see how they turn out when they're older."

"Who were they?" Mutsuko asked, straightening up.

Asuma laughed at her reaction. "According to Iruka, they were Shirogane Cho and Tonkatsu Seiichi."

"Shirogane and Tonkatsu...Got it!" Mutsuko said, making a mental note to write those names down later.

Genma smirked. "Going to start a list of people to look out for at the Chuunin exams?" he questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Maybe," Mutsuko uncomfortably replied, picking at the hem of her dress.

"That's one of the reasons you're having Hato spy, isn't it?" Asuma asked, handing Kotori his glass and mouthing a 'thanks.'

"Maybe," the brunette said again, glancing at her two friends.

"So you can know about the competition?"

"Yes, it is," Mutsuko admitted. "I want my guys to know what they're up against. Not only at the Chuunin Exams, if any of the new Genins should enter, but also at missions and stuff. You know..."

"Yeah; we get it," Asuma said for both of them, accepting the shot-glass from Kotori once again.

"Kotori, why don't you just bring the bottle out next time. There's no point in you running back and forth."

"Right," the purple haired girl said slowly.

"Anyway! You two...I'd like to discuss my next favor."

"Oh?" Genma said, eyebrows raised.

"Yup! Okay, so this one deals with the Twinjas!"

"The who?" Asuma asked blankly.

"The Twinjas," Mutsuko repeated, only for the two men's confused looks to increase. Sighing, she said, "Seiko and Sakai! You know...the twins on my team."

"Oh! Of course!" Asuma exclaimed.

"Why didn't we **get** that?" Genma shouted, just as sarcastic as Asuma.

"You two don't hang around Hato enough," Mutsuko muttered. "Anyway! Yes. This favor requires a lot more of you two. It will help the two train."

"How?"

"You'll attack."


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n **okay, so here it is: Chapter Two. sorry it took so long to update! other things goign on, you know!!! I decided to give this an update, though, before I continued with the rest of my updating cycle! Hope you appreciate it. lol. and I hope you enjoy! be sure to tell me what you think!

* * *

S M i L E

**Chapter Two--Attack  
**+++

"Let me get this straight..." Asuma said slowly, placing his shot glass on the coffee table. "You want us to attack your pupils?"

"I don't get it," Genma added. "I always thought you liked them. Why do you want them killed?"

Mutsuko frowned. "You underestimate them. My team is excellent. Maybe they wouldn't win against you if it was going to be a battle where everyone tried their hardest, but they sure would come close."

"I know, I know. I was just fooling with you," Genma said. He smirked and gave his friend a hair tousle; Mutsuko grinned.

"Good," she said.

Genma smiled lightly at her and then turned to Asuma. "Should we do it?"

The blue-haired man nodded and took another swig of sake. "We'll do it-" he began, only to be interrupted by Mutsuko.

"Oh, I wasn't really giving you an option, but alright. It's good to know you're willing."

Asuma continued as if she had never spoken. "We--or _I_--would like to know how we're going to go about doing this though. I mean, surely they'd recognize us. You've said so yourself--they're smart kids. They're seen you hanging around us and around town."

"You think I haven't thought this through?" Mutsuko inquired, tapping Asuma on the nose and laughing.

Kotori smirked at the blush on the cigarette-smoker's face and the slight frown on Genma's. What she found even funnier than those two things, though, was the fact that Mutsuko didn't notice. It really was a wonder she was still alive; she was so oblivious sometimes!

"I have that all planned out, don't worry. We should probably be going now, though, so you have time to change and then head over to where they are no-doubt fighting."

"We have to change?" Genma groaned.

Mutsuko raised her eyebrows. "Is that a problem?"

"Of course not," Asuma interjected, placing a gloved-hand over the other male's mouth before he could say another word. "When should we leave?"

"Mutsuko glanced down at her watch, forgetting that it was, as it had been for the past 9 years, broken. She frowned at it, her eyes going hazy as she stared at the perfectly smooth glass that covered the beautiful background.

Sighing, she shook her head and looked over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. "We should go now," she said quietly; her mind was on other things, such as the fact that she really needed to get a new watch.

_I can't though, _she said to herself, biting her lower lip. _I just couldn't get rid of it_.

"Come along Genma; Asuma! Thanks for the tea Kotori! I'll see you soon!" The young woman shot up out of her seat, winked at her violet-haired friend, and headed for the door. The two Jounin males followed after her after politely thanking the other woman and saying good-bye.

"I hope what I have will fit," Mutsuko said after a few minutes of silence as they walked down the long hallway. "We'll just have to see though, won't we? If worst comes to worst...well, I don't think you want to know the alternative." She giggled into her hands.

Asuma and Genma exchanged a slightly-frightened glance with one another.

"Um," Asuma began, clearing his throat. He glared at Genma for leaving this to him and continued, "What is the alternative...if what you have doesnt fit?"

"You really want to know?" Mutsuko cackled. She looked over her shoulder at them, her fair brown hair falling into her brown eyes.

"Yes," Genma said firmly.

"Well, I have a box of costumes under my bed. Costumes that would definitely fit you guys. Costumes like...big baggy rainbow pants and long skirts and...should I continue?"

"No, no!" Asuma and Genma assured her. Both had wide eyes as they stared at her. She broke into a grin, chuckled, and carried onward.

"It's odd to think about how scared you got at that, yet, as ninja, we have to carry out daunting, gruesome, dangerous tasks, and you don't seem to care in the least."

"That's because we're big, strong, tough men," Genma replied in all seriousness as he replaced his senbon in his mouth.

Mutsuko laughed. "I agree with the men part..." she said, allowing her voice to trail off.

Asuma cocked an eyebrow. "You really doubt the rest?" he asked skeptically, showing her his arms. She didn't say anything, so Asuma grabbed her hand and placed it on his muscle.

"Alright, alright. You bulge! You have muscle! I get it! Jeez, can't a woman make a joke anymore..." She began mumbling to herself as she fumbled with her set of keys. She could never really remember which was to get into her apartment. She never really needed it anyway. It was a rare occasion that she could be found there. Usually she spent the night at Kotori's, if she wasnt out on a mission, and she spent her days out training with her subordinates. Sometimes she would go days without going to her apartment, which was the main reason it stayed so neat.

"Aha! Here it is!" Mutsuko exclaimed with gusto, only to find the door already open, the lights on, and Genma and Asuma inside, sprawled out at the table.

"How did you guys get in?" Mutsuko asked; there was a frown on her face as she shoved her keys back into her bag.

"I have a spare key," said Asuma. He spun the silver ring around his finger, a taunting smile on his tan face. "Remember?"

"No," Mutsuko grumbled. She kicked her apartment door closed and looked around. It was a fairly simple apartment. The kitchen was fairly large with a table for four in the center. It went right into the Living room, where Genma lay stretched out across the couch, with no separation. Then there was the bedroom and the bathroom. Mutsuko used to hate the cramped quarters--or she considered it cramped, anyway. She did, after all, grow up in a very large house--but now she saw it as practical. Why would she need a tremendous amount of space? She lived there by herself, and she was never around, anyway. And forget about having company! She was too busy for that!

"Come on, you lazy bums," Mutsuko said, disappearing into her dark bedroom. "The clothes are in here!"

The two followed their fellow Jounin into her bedroom where, when they walked in, she was filing through her closet.

Genma stood silently behind her, watching, while Asuma sat on her bed, staring around at the pictures she had displayed. There was one of her parents, her brother and sister--twins--and her team. Then there was one of Kotori and her, Kotori alone, and...one of Genma. He frowned to himself and unconsciously took out a cigarette and lit it.

"Hey!" Mutsuko exclaimed, smelling smoke in the air. "No smoking in my apartment, please! I don't want that foul smell spoiling my air!"

Asuma didn't seem to hear her, however, or he was just choosing to ignore her, because he didn't put out the cigarette. Mutsuko actually had to storm over, rip it from his mouth, and take it to the bathroom to put it out. By the time she returned, she was coughing.

"Such a foul habit. You really should--STOP STARING AT MY PICTURES!" she screeched, running forward and flinging herself in front of the Jounin's vision.

Asuma moved his eyes up to her face and smirked. "Embarrassed about something?" he asked slowly, the smirk growing. In reality he used the smirk to hide what would otherwise be on his face, but Mutsuko needn't know that.

"By what?" she in turn asked.

"That picture right behind you, perhaps?"

Mutsuko looked around, and there was the photo of Genma. He was, as usual, wearing his fore-head-protector hat backwards, and a senbon was coming out of his mouth. But for once, there seemed to be a smile in his eyes, something that was very rare. Genma wasn't exactly a smiling sort of guy. That's not to say he never did, and it isn't to say he frowned all the time, but usually his face bore a rather neutral expression, like he was bored or something.

"The clothes are hanging on the door. You two should go try them on," she said somewhat coolly, her light brown eyes never leaving his.

Asuma stood silently and took one of the black costumes off the door, not even checking the size. Genma cast Mutsuko a curious look--to which she replied with a controlled smile--and went off to change elsewhere.

Mutsuko sighed and fell onto her back. She used to have a picture of Asuma in that spot. A picture of Asuma, aged twenty-two, with a smile on his face and no cigarette in sight. Mutsuko thought back on those days, six years ago, when she was eighteen, with the faint trace of a smile.

But those days were over; finished. She had to move on. Asuma was...well, he was...Mutsuko wasn't exactly sure **what** he was, but she knew what he wasn't: hers.

A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the door frame. Mutsuko sat up and looked over. Genma stood there in the all-black outfit. It fit his slight frame perfectly, Mutsuko noticed, and he looked **good**. She had to look away.

"So it fits?" she asked, picking up a random photo and inspecting it.

"Yup," Genma replied, stepping forward into the room.

"Good." Mutsuko replaced the picture on the wall and walked over to the twenty-nine-year-old man. "Here's a mask," she said, handing him a white, ski mask type of thing. "Put this on when we get there. And," Mutsuko paused, grabbing elastic from her dresser, "put your hair back." She quickly tied his short hair into a loose ponytail, smiled, and turned away.

"Once Asuma is ready, we'll go. I know where we can find the twins."

"Hai," Genma said. He lingered for a moment and then disappeared in the living room to wait.

+++

"Jeez, would you two stop fidgeting?" Mutsuko hissed at the two Jounin as they hurried along. Asuma and Genma kept picking at the tight black clothes they were forced into wearing.

"Why did we agree to this again?" Genma muttered.

"Because you love me," Mutsuko replied, a charming grin on her face. Genma and Asuma stared silently at her, unable to come up with a suitable reply, and then looked quickly away.

Mutsuko frowned. "Mah. You two are mean! You don't say _anything_!" she cried.

Asuma and Genma grinned wickedly, but remained silent as they continued leaping through the threes. As the threesome continued onward, they saw someone seemingly following underneath them. Mutsuko came to a halt and held her arm out to stop the other two, causing Genma's balance to be lost. Asuma grabbed him by the arm and steadied him though, as Mutsuko looked down below, her heart pounding wildly in her chest from, not only the run, but the thrill of being followed.

However her heart rate returned to normal when she realized that the person trailing them from underneath was Hato, going to join in on the training Seiko and Sakai were doing.

"_Hato! _" She called, causing the leaves in the trees to quiver. The blonde boy looked up, spotted his sensei and two others, and grinned.

"Konichiwa!" he called back, waving energetically.

"Come here!" Mutsuko ordered. The white-clad boy was quick to obey. Bending at the knees, he jumped from branch to branch until he stood with the three Jounin.

"Where are you going Sensei?"

"I, along with Asuma and Genma, am going to..._help_ with the training."

"How?"

Mutsuko and the other two exchanged looks. While the two men looked a tad uneasy, Mutsuko just smiled slyly. "You'll see. Come along!"

With that, the four hurried off again to the training area.

+++

"So, you guys know what to do, right?" Mutsuko whispered, her brown eyes never leaving the still figures of her subordinates.

"Hai," the two men said in unison.

"Good! Now _go_!" she commanded, giving one of them a shove. The two jumped up and disappeared into a different tree. Mutsuko beckoned Hato closer.

A kunai was thrown, slicing through the silence. Sakai shot up and started shaking his twin sister, who had almost been hit in the head by said kunai.

Hato's dark gray eyes were wide as he stared. "What are they doing?" he whispered, readjusting his hat.

"Helping them train," Mutsuko answered simply.

"By trying to kill them?!"

The brunette sighed. "Everyone keeps saying that. They **will not** kill them."

Hato frowned and seemed to give up on talking, so Mutsuko went on to continue observing. Sakai's back was blood stained and he and Seiko were looking around to see where the weapons had been thrown from.

"Why don't _I_ ever get special training? Or training at all, really! All you let me do is go off to spy!"

Mutsuko bit her lip to keep from speaking harshly to him. "Don't you _get_ it Hato?! What you are doing **is** training!"

The blonde stared blankly at her, and Mutsuko slapped her hand to her forehead.

"Hato..." she said, as patiently as she could. Then she stopped. It would be easier just to promise him he'd get some 'real training' for now. She'd explain later. "Never mind. I promise you, though, that once we get back from the mission, you'll get some real training, too, alright?"

Hato seemed to brighten at that. A grin spread over his young face, and, with that, he turned his attention back to the training grounds.

By this point Seiko and Sakai were both fighting individually against the two Jounin. Mutsuko watched their attacks carefully. There didn't seem to be a single flaw in either. Except for the fact that Sakai got dizzy and crashed against a tree and slid to the ground.

And with Seiko, the only thing wrong was...well, that she was being _really_ hard on Genma.

"HEY! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mutsuko shouted, hoping that would keep Seiko from murdering Genma. She hopped down from the tree and started walking towards the battlers, Hato following behind.

"You can all stop fighting here. The sun's about to set and I want to go home and rest, and I can't do so while there are two Jounin ninjas playing around with me subordinates!"

"But Mutsuko--" Asuma, the man who was fighting Sakai before, began to protest, but the woman held up her hand and he was silenced.

"Asuma, help Sakai up and **keep** him up since you obviously did that to him. Seiko--drop all weapons and call the hamsters off of Genma."

Seiko looked reluctant as she did what was commanded of her. Mutsuko stared at her, smiling amusedly to herself as she read the blonde girl's expression. She wanted to know why she was so friendly with their attackers...

"I was watching the entire fight," Mutsuko-sensei began to explain as she approached the man she called Genma, "and I have to say--"

Hato humorously interrupted, "That I saw two Academy students fight better than you." Mutsuko saw Seiko fume and grimaced. Not the best thing to say...

Yes, Hato was watching as well, but that wasn't what I was going to say," Mutsuko said with a smile as she began to wipe dirt from Genma's black clothing absently.

" I was **going**, to say that, even though the fight didn't really last long, you two fought well," Mutsuko finished up, ignoring the pair of eyes she felt boring into her and Genma.

She took in Seiko and Sakai's satisfaction before going onto say to Asuma and Genma, smiling playfully, "And you two!" She placed placing both hands on her hips and looked back and forth between the attackers. "You guys are grown men--Jounins. I send you guys to--"

Seiko interrupted, "Wait, wait, _wait_ a minute! You **sent** them?!"

Annoyed by the interruption--again--Mutsuko irritably and indifferently replied, "Yes, yes, I sent them. Now let me finish, okay? So I send you guys to surprise attack my subordinates so that they get some really good practice and you guys totally get beat up! Genma--did you even **hit** Seiko?!"

"It's against my nature to hit an innocent girl--especially a Genin--even a cheeky one like her. But I did get Sakai in the back with a kunai." Genma shrugged.

"Yeah that was a good shot. But poor Sakai got beat up--I guess it's payback for getting Asuma so much, hm?" Mutsuko-sensei winked at Asuma.

The man blushed and grumbled something inaudibly as he pulled his face mask down and grabbed a cigarette, quickly lighting it and putting it to his lips. Mutsuko scowled. There he was, smoking again!

"Anyway! Thanks again Asuma, Genma! You showed the two a nice surprise attack--something they've been needing."

"Not a problem," Asuma replied and let a puff of smoke escape his mouth.

"I guess we should be going now?" Genma suggested, looking over at the slightly younger smoking man, who nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you two around...are you sure you don't want me to pay you?" Mutsuko put one slender hand into her pocket as an act to pull out money, but Genma grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand back out before she could.

"That won't be necessary. It was...fun. I don't think I've ever been attacked by hamsters before." And the light-haired man winked at Seiko.

"Yeah. And it certainly was an experience being mauled by gerbils," Asuma added with a chuckle. "But you guys were good, no doubt about it. You certainly live up to the title as the best Genin team..."

"But you didnt see me fight!" Hato protested.

As Asuma spoke to Hato, Genma leaned towards Mutsuko and whispered in her ear, "And you call us lazy," then snorted. His lips touched her ear, sending shivers up her spine and forming goose bumps on her orange-covered arms.

And then, he and Asuma were gone. Mutsuko smiled faintly at where they had stood and then turned to the subordinates. She spoke and listened to them, but she wasn't really paying attention. Then Seiko and Sakai were gone, leaving her, once again, with Hato.

After several minutes of more chatter, she decided it was time to leave.

"When will you pay me though?" Hato asked, referring to the bet they had made, as they walked along.

"How about tomorrow?" Mutsuko suggested; she knew she wouldn't.

"So I can expect it next month?" Hato said with a grin.

"You bet!"

* * *

**a/n** okay, so the referrign to the bet is from Sunrises, Chapter two. and has any one else noticed that I make a lot of blodne in my stories and that people wear a lot of orange? totally not on purpose. anyway! tell me what you think! 


	3. Chapter 3

S M i L e

**Chapter Three--Mission**  
+

Mutsuko woke up earlier then she would have liked. The sunlight filtering through the drawn blinds was barely bright enough to light the corner of a dark room, and yet there she lay, wide awake. She turned on her side, hoping that repositioning herself would make it easier to sleep.

She was wrong.

Her eyelids were springs or something, because whenever she closed them, they just flew right back open, leaving her staring at her open closet. Her light brown eyes flickered across all the neatly order clothes that she never got the chance to wear. There were date-type dresses and pants; then there was the formal wear and the summer wear. Everything was neatly organized because it had rarely been touched since it was put there. Life as a ninja didn't leave too much free time. There were so many things that the young Jounin wanted to wear, to **do**, that she hadn't really been able to because of the lifestyle she chose. She never even considered that she chose the wrong career though. She loved what she did. It was energizing; it was fun; it was _important_. Konoha was a trusted village with trusted ninja--well, as trusted as a ninja can be. Mutsuko always felt good about herself and her job when she could say that a life was saved because of her. There was nothing like it. She admitted that sometimes she would say she would rather be a Special Kunoichi instructor, but when it came right down to it, she wouldn't give her job up for the world.

Slowly, the kunoichi dragged herself out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen. Only a few beams of light shimmered there, leaving all but a couple ribbons of space left in darkness. Mutsuko didn't even bother turning on the lights; she merely continued moving around in her zombie-like state, collecting the needed items to prepare a bowl of cereal for herself.

The light slowly grew, leaking through the window and filling the spacious kitchen with sunshine. Mutsuko barley noticed, however, as she was so preoccupied with eating. In the mornings, when she was tired and couldn't sleep, this took a lot of concentration. Her hand barely made it to her mouth and the food would occasionally spill down her front, as it did this time.

The doorknob started to noisily turn, catching the ninja's attention. She slowly turned and watched as her apartment door creaked open and someone stepped inside.

"Good morning!" the visitor exclaimed, far too perky for so early in the morning.

Mutsuko grunted some sort of inaudible response and proceeded with her eating. The visitor laughed seeing her.

"Do I have to feed you?" she exclaimed. Not bothering to close the door, she rushed to the table, ripped the spoon from Mutsuko's grip, and began feeding her.

"Kotori," Mutsuko grunted. "Kotori, I can feed myself."

The violet-haired woman scoffed, dropping the napkin she used to dab the milk from the brunette's face on the table. "I'm starting to doubt that, truly I am."

Mutsuko glared. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I just wanted to wish you good luck before you went! And to say good-bye! I won't see you again for a while, correct?"

"It shouldn't be **too** long," Mutsuko replied. "I mean, it's a B-ranked mission, sure, but...no, it shouldnt be too long."

"I hope so! Who will appreciate my tea when you're gone? I mean, my apartment will be so _empty! _"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure Asuma and Genma will stop by," Mutsuko indifferently replied.

"**Speaking** of those two, you really should find them and say good-bye before you head off."

Mutsuko cocked a brow. "And why would I do that? It isn't as if they do that to me."

"Yeah, well...I think they'll be worried about you. You know, since they..." she stopped short, her lips thinning.

"They what?" Mutsuko asked, placing her bowl and spoon in the sink.

"They're your friends. And they have reason to worry about you. I mean...seriously! Look at you!"

Mutsuko looked down at her shirt where there was not only milk and cereal, but chocolate stains and other unidentifiable food marks. She grinned sheepishly. "Okay, so I don't know how to keep food in my mouth...but that doesn't mean they need to worry about me!"

Kotori shrugged. "They do though, I'm sure."

Mutsuko cocked her head to the side. "Why?"

"You know, for someone so smart, you really are oblivious," Kotori sighed.

Mutsuko shrugged. "It's a gift."

"A curse is more like it," mumbled Kotori. She got to her feet, smiled brightly at her brunette friend, and waved. "Well, I am going to get going now! Good luck with the mission; I'll see you when you get back?"

"Unless something happens!" Mutsuko sang, just as she did before the beginning of any B or A ranked mission.

And, as always, Kotori replied with a stern, "I'll see you when you get back."

Without another word then, the purple-haired young woman hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her. Mutsuko sighed and fell down on the couch, trying to decide what to do. She still had a couple of hours before she had to meet up with her subordinates and go to collect the mission from Hokage-sama. Packing would be simple--she already had a bag pre-packed that she just had to add a few things to. She always had a bag ready. Whenever she came back from a mission, she would restock and leave it sitting in her closet. If anything special was needed for a mission, she would merely add it; it was so simple.

Everything was taken care of. She had taken a shower the night before--not that it matter; she would just get dirty on the road, anyway. She had eaten; she and Kotori had said good-bye. There was _nothing_ left to do but get dressed. Unless, of course, she took her friends "advice" and went to tell the guys she was going.

Not that she really saw the point in **doing** that, but it was something to occupy her time. She needed something, otherwise her mind would wander and she would lose track of time.

Time...

Mutsuko glanced down at her wrist where, as usual, the broken watch was. A sigh escaped her mouth as she stared. She really _did_ need a new watch; one that wouldn't distract her whenever she looked down; one that actually had hands that moved; one that would fulfill its purpose--to tell its wearer the current time.

"I'm far too sentimental for my own good," Mutsuko muttered, tearing her eyes away from the beautiful watch. "I should just get rid of it."

Her hands hovered over it, ready to tear it off her wrist and throw it to the ground, but just before her fingers could unfasten it, her muscles tensed.

_Come on, Mutsuko, _she cried inside her mind. _Take off the watch_.

No matter how much her mind told her to, though, her body wouldn't allow it. And, in the end, it was left on. The brunette took a deep breath and went to her room to get dressed.

As was routine, she pulled the pale short orange dress over her black cami. It was a fairly revealing dress; she had started to notice recently. It ended mid-thigh, hugging every curve she had, and the chest-al region was covered by fish-net, giving off a whole lot of cleavage. It was very different from what she used to wear--a long sleeved, blue belly shirt under a flimsy, hooded vest and white shorts. But on her twenty-fourth birthday, she had decided that a change was needed. One gets tired of wearing the same thing virtually ever day for five or six years. So she got herself a present, and apparently, it was a present for a lot of other people, too.

Not that was going to make her change. She liked the outfit, and if other people liked it, too, well...good for them!

Sighing, she shook her head and pulled on her pale yellow socks; they ended nearly where the skirt of her dress began, leaving very little of her legs showing. Next, she tied the bright orange fabric around her waist, making a bow, and threw the longer, ragged, bright orange fabric around her neck--a scarf. And to finish the ensemble, she slipped her hands into her very long, green and pale yellow gloves.

"Perfect as usual," Mutsuko said, grinning to herself. She then skipped off to finish getting ready, grabbing her katana as she hurried out the door.

Mutsuko hummed to herself as she took a leisurely walk around the already-busy village. This was what she had decided she would do. She would while away the hour or so that she had, doing absolutely nothing but humming and walking. If she happened to run into either of the guys, so be it, but she was **not** going to go looking for them. They understood that she had a team to teach and couldn't always be there to tell them where she was going. It wasnt as if she would even if she didn't have the three Genins--she wasnt like that--but they would understand. They would never expect her to do such a thing. They would probably think her ill if she did.

"Why would Kotori even suggest that?" Mutsuko asked herself, taking a break from both her humming and walking. "And what was that whole thing about them worrying about me? Like they would do that!" She laughed. "They know I can take care of myself! Kotori is just being weird...er than usual."

_Yeah, _she agreed with herself, continuing onward.

She smiled happily to herself, walking all by herself for a few more minutes before someone came up from behind her, draping his arm over her shoulder.

"Remember when we ate dinner there?" he whispered in her ear, pointing at a cute little restaurant decorated with lace and hearts.

"Yeah," she laughed.

"Remember what a good time we had?"

"Oh yeah."

"Think they would let us back in?"

Mutsuko barked a laugh. "After what happened there? Not a chance! Don't you remember being kicked out on our butts? The owner practically chased us back home!"

"Yeah. And whenever we even passed by she would shout at us!" the man laughed.

Mutsuko slowly looked up and smiled at the man--Asuma. "We had some good times, didn't we?"

"Those were probably the most interesting years of my life," he replied, smiling softly back.

"Yeah," Mutsuko shortly replied, ducking her head back down. She didn't want to think about that. Not that it had been a bad part of her life--she had loved it. But it was over. Just..._over_. Sometimes it was difficult accepting that, and thinking about it just made it even harder on her. It was time to move on.

She seemed to have a problem with doing that.

"So, what are you up to today? Training with the kids again?" Asuma asked. He started to pull a cigarette out of his pocket but stopped, seeing the look on Mutsuko's face.

"Not exactly. We're actually going on a mission. I'm just wasting my time, waiting for it to be time to leave."

"Really?" Asuma asked, surprised.

Mutsuko furrowed her brow. "Yeah, really...Why would I lie about it?"

Asuma shrugged. "I don't know."

"Right...Say, what time is it?" The brunette leaned over and looked at his watch. Seeing the time, she grimaced.

"Time for us to get going," she answered for herself. "Bye Asuma! I'll see you when the mission is over!"

As Mutsuko ran wildly off, Genma, hands thrust in his pockets, approached Asuma.

"What's up with her?" he wondered.

"Oh, she has to get going to a mission," Asuma replied.

"Oh. I didn't know."

Asuma looked up, surprised. "She didn't tell you?"

Genma cocked a brow. "No. Why would she have? It isn't like we keep tabs on each other or anything. We arent dating." He laughed. Then, with a nod in the smoker's direction, he continued on his way, with Asuma smiling happily to himself.

Mutsuko pounded loudly on the door to Hato's apartment. "Come in!" the Omoi boy sang.

Mutsuko slipped into the apartment and smirked to herself as she watched Hato rush around his apartment to get ready. It never ceased to amaze her how fast the lazy boy could go if he wanted to.

As was the routine, she took care of putting away whatever Hato left out--this time the milk and cereal--that Hato would have otherwise forgotten about. It happened every time, though sometimes Hato would decide to do things differently and confuse his sensei. It really didn't matter, though, what order he did things in. Mutsuko would always find a way to help the thirteen-year-old get ready.

You know, Hato," Mutsuko began as she closed the refrigerator door. "I really do wish you'd stop saving your hurried moments for at home. The Twinjas and I would really appreciate it if you were on _time_ for once."

Rounding the corner, Hato snorted. "Like you're always on time, right?" He hastily shoved his fisherman style hat on his head before his sensei could catch a glimpse.

She jokingly pouted. "And of course I missed the hair! Why is it that only Seiko gets to see it?"

"Because she steals it off my head, that's why," Hato growled bitterly, causing his sensei to laugh.

"Maybe I'll actually be around sometime when that happens. I don't understand why you always wear the hat; don't you think the girls would like you even more if they could see the hair?"

Hato smirked, slinging hid back over his shoulder, and said, "I don't need any more attention from the girls. If I did, they'd be killing each other."

"My aren't we modest," Mutsuko laughed; she opened the door for her pupil and waited for the boy to pass out into the hall before closing and locking it with the key Hato had given her.

It was as they were walking that she realized that she had stupidly left her supplies at her apartment. "Can we stop by my apartment before we go meet the other two?" she inquired of Hato; the boy looked over his shoulder at the brown-haired sensei.

Shrugging, he said, "Sure, why not? I mean it's on the way, isn't it?"

Mutsuko smiled at her pupil and then, after a few strides, was walking right by his side. She was barely taller than him, and eleven years older, which disturbed her sometimes. She took comfort in the fact that she was stronger than him though. But one day, that too would be taken away from her; she was sure of it. All of her students would probably surpass her. When she first realized this, she was a little bit upset, but after a while she decided that that was a good thing. It would mean that she taught them well enough that they were able to realize what they could do.

"Here we are!" Hato exclaimed, breaking his sensei from her trance. She smiled at him, found her key, and let herself in.

"Come on in, Hato! Sit down for a minute!" she called, racing to her bedroom. In the back of her closet, after much rummaging, she found her bag. She pulled it out, checked to make sure everything she needed was there, and then hurried back to the living room, where she found Hato lounging about on her sofa.

"You and Genma," she laughed, slinging her bag onto her back. "You just _love_ that couch."

Hato grinned, hoisting himself up. "It's a good couch."

"Yes, it is a good couch," the brunette agreed. "Come on! The twins are probably waiting for us!"

That got Hato moving. "I can't let them be first again!" he exclaimed, jumping up and racing off. Mutsuko laughed and hurried off after him.

The young woman was wrong; the twins hadn't arrived in the usual meeting place first. They weren't waiting for once; Hato and Mutsuko were. Once the twins met up with them, they headed off to the Hokage's office to receive their mission.

Hato bolted ahead, leaving the other three to chase after him. And that was not fun to do, considering the fact that there were so many stairs. When they finally made it to the top, they found Hato chatting it up with the Hokage, both ignoring all the other people seated at the long table.

"Konichiwa Hokage-sama," Mutsuko greeted, bowing slightly.

"Konichiwa Hokage-sama," the Noriako twins said in turn, bowing as well.

The old man drew the pipe out of his mouth and looked over at the three who had just entered.

"Konichiwa Mutsuko-san. How are you doing Seiko, Sakai?"

Seiko answered for the both of them, saying that they were doing well. The two continued politely conversing for a moment or so until Hokage-sama looked over at Mutsuko and said, "I assume you are here to receive your mission, correct?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Mutsuko-sensei answered. She stepped forward towards the long table to receive the scroll that would show their assigned mission. As she did this, her subordinates began talking to another team that had just entered the room, Gai's team.

Mutsuko cringed when she heard the familiar cry of the man, hoping that he wouldn't see her. He had always given her the creeps, and the way his pupil dressed up just like him disturbed her. Not that he was a bad kid; she had heard that he was great, but, still...he could at least wear something of his own. Something less disturbing.

Mutsuko glanced back at the group and watched curiously as Sakai and a brown-haired girl she recognized as Tenten talked to one another. What her other two subordinates were doing barely interested her right then. Something was going on there. Tenten was smiling a lot as she and Sakai made small talk with one another. And if she was seeing things correctly, Sakai was acting slightly differently; barely noticeable, but different still. He was fidgeting slightly and looking away a bit as he spoke to the girl; he never did either thing unless uncomfortable.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Mutsuko heard Tenten ask the Noriako boy.

"Nothing really. I was just wondering what our mission would be. If only _Mutsuko-sensei_ would **hurry up**!!"

"Oh get over it already!" Mutsuko moodily countered; Tenten laughed.

Something told Mutsuko that Sakai was anxious to get away from Tenten as well as get to the mission.

Mutsuko tuned them out as she continued settling what was going on with the Hokage, making sure everything was straight and she knew what she had to do. She couldn't help picking up something that Hato said though.

"Maybe Hokage-sama could set aside a mission for you guys, too. Mutsuko-sensei told us that's what she had him do."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Mutsuko, referring to the explanation, whispered before turning to her team. "I didn't 'have' him do anything, baka. Hokage-sama kindly offered to set one aside and I accepted. That is all. Now come along, my darling subordinates. We have to get going."

"But what's the mission?!" Hato whined, quickly following after the young woman then calling good-byes to everyone.

Tenten called out a good-bye to Sakai, Mutsuko observed with a smirk. Only Sakai.

"You'll see in a minute," Mutsuko impatiently said. "Now stop complaining." That wasnt an easy thing for the blonde to do, but he listened.

The four walked along until they reached the ground. Then Mutsuko opened up the scroll, cleared her throat, and began the explanation.

"Noriako Sakai, Noriako Seiko, and Omoi Hato are to be guided by Warai Mutsuko--_me_--on this B-ranked mission." She cleared her throat again before continuing, squinting her eyes in order to read the Hokage's messy scrawl. "We are to travel to the Lightning Country to guard a high-power against ninjas from...the Cloud Village, actually. This person will be found at the Town of Kusubana. The name of this high-power is Fujitaka Onpu. With him will be is fourteen-year-old daughter," she said after glaring at Hato for urging her to move along.

"Supposedly we're only supposed to protect him while he's taking care of business in this village, but you know these people--they're fickle. We'll probably be they're after that as well," Mutsuko finished up.

"Wait...this Fujitaka guy...he's already in the Lightning Country?" Seiko, confused, asked.

"Hai."

"Well couldn't something happen to him while we're on our way?"

"I'm sure he's already got that all figured out, but whatever. Now we really must be going. If you have anymore questions, ask as we go."

"Got it!" they exclaimed, grabbing their bags; they were eager to get going.

"Nom keep in mind," Mutsuko began. She stared over her shoulder at the three young teens, a grim expression looking foreign on her face. "This is a dangerous mission. There are ninjas involved--and no doubt, they are older than all of you. I want you to be careful. There might even be some ambushes along the way. _Always_ be on your guard!"

"We know, we know!" Sakai said impatiently.

Mutsuko noticed that they still looked fearful as they backed away from Konoha, staring at the gate. She was quick to add, ""I won't let any of you die--got it?" She was dead serious.

The three exchanged looks and nodded firmly, expressions of eagerness coming back. They were ready, Mutsuko knew it and they knew it. Nothing was going to stop them now that the mission had begun.

Mutsuko smiled, satisfied, as she looked back at the village. They were on their way.

* * *

**a/n **and that is all I have of THAT one. It really isn't much for this story, which is upsetting because I have so much planned for it--as I do with the others. But no Naruto mood means no Naruto fanfic writing which means disappointment for everyone involved--and YES, that includes me. I feel bad, but right now I need to concentrate on other things

hee hee. I hope you liked. so, what do you think is with the watch? and with Asuma? hm?

I love Asuma and Genma, and hopefully, soonish, it will have a whole lot more STUFF going on between them. oh! and this story probably won't have a sequeal as the others do (maybe eventually, I dunno) but for a long time now I have been planning for it to have a prequel. yay! then you'll understand a whole lot more stuff a whole lot better, even though I will explain most things in this.

anyway! thanks for reading!


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